Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962)

SOUTHERN HARMONY

For string quartet

I. Soft Summers

II. Reel Time

III. Slow Waltz

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

arr. Danny Seidenberg

LA CRÉATION DU MONDE (1922/23)

Intermission

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

PIANO QUINTET IN A, OP. 81

I. Allegro, ma non tanto

II. Dumka: Andante con moto

III. Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace

IV. Finale: Allegro.

Artists: Natasha Bazhanov, violin; Timothy Christie, viola; Artur Girsky, violin; Rowena Hammill, cello; Henry Kramer, piano; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Stephen Miahky, violin; Philip Payton, viola; Maria Sampen, violin

Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962)

SOUTHERN HARMONY

For string quartet

I. Soft Summers

II. Reel Time

III. Slow Waltz

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

arr. Danny Seidenberg

LA CRÉATION DU MONDE (1922/23)

Intermission

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

PIANO QUINTET IN A, OP. 81

I. Allegro, ma non tanto

II. Dumka: Andante con moto

III. Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace

IV. Finale: Allegro.

Artists: Natasha Bazhanov, violin; Timothy Christie, viola; Artur Girsky, violin; Rowena Hammill, cello; Henry Kramer, piano; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Stephen Miahky, violin; Philip Payton, viola; Maria Sampen, violin

Dvorak String Quartet in F, Op. 96, “American”

Featuring the Girsky String Quartet, Danza Classica Ballet Company, and choreography by Idalee Hutson-Fish.

Few works in the chamber music repertoire communicate as fully to listeners of all stripes as does the String Quartet in F, Op. 96, by Antonin Dvorak. More immediately identifiable by its nickname, the “American,” this work has enjoyed a continuous place of prominence in the repertoire since its Carnegie Hall premiere in 1894 by the Kneisel Quartet. In fact, so significant is this music that it might be said to represent a glaring omission on the part of this Festival…

No more!

We visit the vast production facility of Rôtie Cellars for this special performance. Why so vast a space? To accommodate the dancers, of course! That’s right, WWCMF is teaming up with the young virtuosi of Walla Walla’s Danza Classica Ballet Company to bring new and unique insights to this Romantic masterpiece. With choreography by Idalee Hutson-Fish and a musical performance by the Girsky String Quartet, it will be a celebration from start to heart-pounding finish.

Artists: Nathalia Cazarez, dance; Grace Evans, dance; Amanda Gallaway, dance; Idalee Hutson-Fish, choreography; Katie Janis, dance; Nina Johanson, dance; Taya Lovejoy, dance; Colleen McKibben, dance; Paula Vargas, dance; and the Girsky String Quartet: Natasha Bazhanov, violin; Timothy Christie, viola; Artur Girsky, violin; and Rowena Hammill, cello.

Natasha Bazhanov, violin

Russian-American violinist Natasha Bazhanov enjoys a vibrant career as a member of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

A musician of varied interests, Natasha is also a member of the Seattle-based Girsky String Quartet. She brings a unique perspective as a master of the inner voice. What do I mean by “inner voice?” Simply that Natasha spends her time in the second violin section and playing second violin in the quartet. But what does that mean in terms of music? It means versatility. In baseball terms, Natasha can play the outfield or the infield. She bats .300, brings in 100 RBIs and steals 30 bases. She’ll even pitch an inning when needed. Such is the nature of excelling in the role of second fiddle.

Tonight she’ll take the spotlight all to herself. Join us at Revelry Vintners for what will surely be an exciting and enlightening performance of music by Dvorak, Kreisler and Bach.

Artists: Natasha Bazhanov, violin; Timothy Christie, viola; Artur Girsky, violin; and Jingwen Tu, piano.

Saint-Saëns and Dvořák

The opening Festival Series performance of the 2019 June season takes a close look at two distinct but related styles of composition. We have on the one hand the Sonata in D minor, Op. 75, by Camille Saint-Saëns, and the Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81, by Antonin Dvořák. One lays the groundwork for the style known as Impressionism, while the other barters overtly in the compositional movement known as Nationalism, though no less image-rich than its French counterpart. These pieces were composed about two years and 550 miles apart, the former in 1885 (Paris), the latter in 1887 (Prague).

How are they similar? Different? Both are crowd-pleasers (luckyTimothy Christie, viola; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Christina McGann, violin; Stephen Miahky, violin; Maria Sampen, violin; and Jingwen Tu, piano. you!), and both showcase the respective virtuosity of their instrumentation. As a brief introductory answer to those rhetorical questions, rhythm is the thing. Saint-Saëns begins to intentionally obscure “natural” rhythmic cycles while Dvořák revels in the most direct and impactful expression of meter. What does all this mean? It means you best attend and enjoy, because no amount of dissection will reveal the twin joys contained in these Romantic masterpieces. To feel the joy, you must only listen.

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

Sonata In D Minor, Op. 75 (1885) For Violin And Piano

I. Allegro agitato — Adagio

II Allegretto moderato — Allegro molto

INTERMISSION

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Piano Quintet In A, Op. 81 (1887)

I. Allegro, ma non tanto

II. Dumka: Andante con moto

III. Scherzo (Furiant): molto vivace

IV. Finale: Allegro

Artists: Timothy Christie, viola; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Christina McGann, violin; Stephen Miahky, violin; Maria Sampen, violin; and Jingwen Tu, piano.

Dvořák Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81

I’ve often introduced works by Dvořák with evocations of Bohemian village life, hearkening back to a simpler time. And I see no reason to change. The village will gather for a celebration. There will be song and dance, both melancholy and joyous. There will be an abundance of food and drink, and at the end of the day, merriment will reign supreme. Such is the soundworld of the Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81, by Antonin Dvořák. Come join the celebration. We’ll meet you at the village forge, or rather Forgeron Cellars in downtown Walla Walla.

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81 (1887)

 I. Allegro, ma non tanto

 II. Dumka: Andante con moto

 III. Scherzo (Furiant): molto vivace

 IV. Finale: Allegro

Artists: Timothy Christie, viola; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Stephen Miahky, violin; Maria Sampen, violin; and Jingwen Tu, piano.

The 2016 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival comes to a close with a program any Hollywood producer would admire.

• Shostakovich, String Quartet in A flat, Op. 118

• Schumann, Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 105

• Dvorak, Piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 87

What makes a good blockbuster? Worthy protagonists, an implacable villain, equal measures of suspense, uncertainty and volatility, and, eventually, a happy ending. WWCMF brings these plot devices together in a program of music by Shostakovich, Schumann and Dvorak.

Our protagonists are Dmitri Shostakovich, a lonely artist in Soviet Era Russia; Robert Schumann, a passionate but unstable romantic; and Antonin Dvorak, a folk hero who gave a voice to the Czech people. The villains are the Soviet machine and crises of identity in the face of overwhelming odds. The music is in turns scenic, terrifying, resolute and, ultimately, heroically triumphant. When the final credits roll, you will already be able to taste the sequel…

2017: The 10-year Anniversary of WWCMF… This time, it’s personal!

Artists: Timothy Christie, viola; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Christina McGann, violin; Philip Payton, violin; Maria Sampen, violin; Sally Singer Tuttle, cello; and Wei-Han Wu, piano.

Andrew Jennings, Violin

From his inaugural season of concerts with the Concord String Quartet in 1971 through captivating performances at WWCMF in recent seasons, Andrew Jennings is one of the most important violinists, pedagogues, and chamber musicians of our time.

WWCMF is honored to present Andrew Jennings on Portrait of an Artist 2. The beautiful gallery at Foundry Vineyards will set the perfect stage for this evening of insights and delights. Music will include a wide array from Bach to Dvorak to Stockhausen and even the champion Scottish fiddler, Alasdair Fraser.

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Maria Sampen, and Sally Singer Tuttle.

Inversion Without the Freezing Fog: In the Pacific Northwest, we have our own definition for the term inversion. It has frosty meteorological implications. On Festival Series I, however, the implications are aesthetic. Anton Webern, known as a leading figure of the Second Viennese School of composition, penned some of the most innovative scores of the 20th century. His works are known for their brevity, but also the microscopic detail, density and care with which he deploys a language devoid of tonality or traditional structure. Webern’s reputation for thorny modern works is so firmly established that his lush, romantic Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) for string quartet from 1905, will come as a complete surprise. Speaking of string quartets, Festival Series I will see the world premiere of Yotam Haber’s quartet Society of the Free and Easy. Instead of the traditional 2 violins, viola and cello, the ensemble is inverted: two cellos, viola and violin. Finally, the Piano Trio of Maurice Ravel, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is an imitate work for three players that deploys each voice in ways that can only be described as symphonic in scope. Opening night of the 2014 Festival Series will be a night to remember.

Yotam Haber (b. 1976)

World Premiere: Society of the Free and Easy, for violin, viola and two cellos

Anton Webern (1883-1945)

Langsamer Satz in E Flat (1905) for string quartet

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Terzetto in C for two violins and viola

I. Indtroduzione. Allegro ma non troppo

II. Larghetto

III. Scherzo. Vivace — Trio. Poco meno mosso

IV. Tema con variazioni. Poco Adagio — Molto Allegro — Moderato (quasi Recit.) — Moderato e risoluto — Molto Allegro

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Piano Trio in A minor (1914)

I. Modéré

II. Pantoum. Assez vite

III. Passacaille. Très large

IV. Final. Animé

Artists: Jennifer Caine, Timothy Christie, Oksana Ezhokina, Yotam Haber, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Maria Sampen, Sally Singer Tuttle, and Volta Piano Trio.

Czech this out! The 2013 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival opens with the World Premiere of composer Ching-chu Hu’s String Sextet.

Tonight, we feast and we dance! Opening night of the 2013 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival at the Gesa Power House Theater will crackle with the lively Bohemian dance rhythms of the Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81. Czech dances, such as the Dumka and Furiant, loom large in this audience favorite.

Also on the program is Beethoven's delightful "Harp" string quartet, Op. 74. The work, from the same period as the "Emperor" Concerto, belies none of the circumstances of Beethoven's existence in 1809: encroaching deafness, Napoleon's siege of Vienna, and attending economic woes. Beethoven, ever crafty, negotiated his way through the maze as a freelance composer.

This season marks the sixth year of the WWCMF tradition of opening the Festival Series with a specially commissioned work. It is fitting that it is a work for six players. Our featured composer is Ching-chu Hu, whose new String Sextet was commissioned for the 2013 Festival and has its World Premiere tonight!

Ching-chu Hu

Spheres of Influence, for String Sextet (2013 World Premiere, WWCMF Commission)

The 2013 Commission of the “Spheres of Influence, for String Sextet” by Ching-chu Hu was made possible by the generosity of John Jamison and Kathy Wildermuth.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 74, “Harp”

I. Poco adagio - Allegro

II. Adagio ma non troppo

III. Presto - Più presto quasi prestissimo

IV. Allegretto con variazioni

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81

I. Allegro ma non tanto

II. Dumka. Andante con moto

III. Scherzo (Furiant). Molto vivace

IV. Finale. Allegro

Artists: Timothy Christie, Oksana Ezhokina, Carolyn Heubi, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann,Stephen Miahky, Maria Sampen, and Felix Wang

Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival welcomes back virtuoso clarinetist Kevin Schempf for this performance of Golijov’s “The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind” for Klezmer Clarinet and String Quartet. Blazing technique and characteristic “laughter through tears” describe this evocative work. Bassist, and Dayton, Washington native, Kevin Casseday of the Jacksonville Philharmonic (Florida) returns to Southeast Washington to perform the Dvorak Bass Quintet in G. The work shines with Bohemian dance and folksong, and will surely match the splendor of the Walla Walla Valley in late Spring.

Music of Golijov and Dvorak

Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival welcomes back virtuoso clarinetist Kevin Schempf for this performance of Golijov’s “The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind” for Klezmer Clarinet and String Quartet. Blazing technique and characteristic “laughter through tears” describe this evocative work. Bassist, and Dayton, Washington native, Kevin Casseday of the Jacksonville Philharmonic (Florida) returns to Southeast Washington to perform the Dvorak Bass Quintet in G. The work shines with Bohemian dance and folksong, and will surely match the splendor of the Walla Walla Valley in late Spring.

Dvorak: Bass Quintet in G, Op. 77

Branches laden with fruit, vines thick with hops, the aroma of a slow-roasted knuckle of pork and red cabbage, chubby villagers... such are the Bohemian charms of the Dvorak Bass Quintet, Op. 77. Bassist and native Walla Wallan, Kevin Casseday of the Jacksonville Philharmonic and University of Florida, returns to his old stomping grounds to perform this Czech masterpiece.

There are few winery settings as compelling as the Tasting Room at Longshadows. Inside, works by Dale Chihuly adorn the space. Outside, the Walla Walla Valley spreads in all directions. Longshadows Vintners is not generally open to the public, and this event will sell out quickly.